


Sky Full of Song

by VirusZeref



Series: AU Damian Wayne [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Starfire (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Alternate Universe, BAMF Koriand'r, Blood and Violence, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Jewish Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Coming of Age, Communication, Developing Friendships, Dick Grayson is a Talon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Experimentation, F/F, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Internalized Acephobia, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Jewish Character(s), Lack of Communication, M/M, Magic, Mother-Son Relationship, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outer Space, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Characters, Queerplatonic Relationships, Romani Character, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, عربي | Arabic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14464551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirusZeref/pseuds/VirusZeref
Summary: A while back Ra's al Ghul implanted a sample of Tamaran DNA, stolen from Koriand'r into Damian in the artificial womb his mother created.Unknowingly, this causes a series of events.But that's the life of a hero.





	1. Background and Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, my dudes!
> 
> This is an AU of Tamaran!Damian Wayne. Cause why not add another AU!Damian to the long list? 
> 
> There isn't a relationship for Damian Wayne in this one. Sorry if you wanted a romantic relationship. 
> 
> Thanks to NikeScaret for the title!
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Happy reading

Climbing your mother’s or father’s lap by yourself is a feat for a normal four-year-old child. Climbing up and down the stairs by yourself as that same four-year-old is a much bigger feat. But scaling up a large mountain range with only a picket axe and rope with no adult supervision? 

 

No child should ever be put in that situation. Yet, Damian Al Ghul, grandson of Ra's Al Ghul was performing this feat. Not to gain fame or acceptable, but as a challenge on his birthday, like every year so far.   
  
Finish the task correctly and he will be able to see his father. His grandfather  _ promised _ him this when he was merely a year old, and Damian had held onto it with a death grip ever since. Mother was slightly against the idea, but what the Head of the Demon says, he will receive. That is the way of the League of Assassins, the same League he will inherit when he is of age. 

 

His legacy.

 

His birthright.

 

The four-year-old let out a small whimper as he pulled himself up on the arm he had previously broken halfway through his challenge. The arm was bend in a way that wasn’t normal for a young child. Or anyone for that matter. Still, he couldn’t afford to delay his progress, and after all of the tales his mother had told of his Father, the urge to see him was almost nerve-wracking. While he kept climbing, his arm started to tingle and warm up, which due to the bitter cold and high altitude, didn’t seem to be an issue to him. But in Damian’s case, it should have been a concern. Slowly, the normal process of a bone healing began, aching and painful. Grandfather and Mother were standing at the peak when Damian pushed himself to the top. 

 

“You’re about two minutes behind, Damian,” Mother says, her cold eyes - never warm, never aimed at him, and he wonders sometimes what it is like to have a mother like that - narrowed.

 

The young child nodded and looked at the floor, an instinctive reaction of a child is in trouble with the adults in the home. Mother tsked and harshed forced his chin up to look at the both of him. 

 

“You know looking down is a sign of weakness.”

 

“Yes, Mother.”

 

Grandfather took over, inspecting every part of the child for something; he didn’t say what he was doing, but he spent a longer amount of time on the arm that had just healed than anything else.

 

The Head of the Demon raised an eyebrow and made a mental note to himself. Apparently, the DNA was instilled in the child after all. It was subtle, but it was here.

 

Maybe the experiment isn’t a lost cause after all. 

 

“Grandfather, Mother wants to leave now.”

 

Ra’s clears his throat. “Of course, Damian. Let us go.” 

 

________________________________

 

“Is that hesitation I see, Damian?”

 

That wasn’t a question or a rhetorical question - it was a statement formed as a question. And coming from Grandfather himself; it made it all the more terrifying it sounded to a six-year-old Damian Al Ghul. The child shook his head, yet continued to stare at the long trail of live coal laid out in front of him. His grandfather was beside him with one aged hand on his shoulder, his mother on the other side with another gift. 

 

“Grandfather...it appears that you will need a bath in the Pit very soon.” Damian watches the Head of the Demon flex his free hand with a coy smile on his face. The only type of any affection he will receive and Damian cherishes that. 

 

“Thank you for alerting me, Damian. You are truly my grandson. Now, begin your challenge.” No more needed to be said as the child begun treading over hot coal, bare-toed.

 

Ra’s studied Damian with a narrow gaze. The coal trail was merely a test, less for Damian and more for his own needs. The Head of Demon had informed Talia that this was to be merely another birthday challenge for him. 

 

Hm. After all these years, his daughter still retains romantic affections to the Detective. Ra’s has yet to inform her of the fact that the Bat is pursuing a romantic relationship with one of the human Green Lanterns, but that wasn’t necessary. More likely she will figure that one out on her own. 

 

“Lord Ra’s, the scans show that the soles of Damian’s feet are healing as he walks, more than the usual.”

 

“Interesting. Anytime else.”

 

The scientist nodded and flipped through their notes before speaking again, “Um, his body isn’t registering the intense heat of the coals, just as we observed by two years ago with the intense cold from the mountain range. In addition to that, we have noticed that the young Master feels much healthier in sunlight than, cooped up inside.”

 

Ra’s nodded and dismissed the scientist who bowed timidly and quickly hurried off, like a mouse who freed its tail from the claws of a hungry house cat. 

 

How fitting.

 

However...once again Damian was two minutes late again.

 

The boy failed. 

 

No matter, Ra’s still had few years left. Eventually, Talia will lose her composure and the child will meet his father. 

 

Just according to the plan. 

 

Though he will have to alter parts of it.

 

_________________________________

 

“Father.”

 

“Daughter.”

 

Ra’s sat comfortably on his jade crested throne, the rubies and diamonds shining in the dawn’s sunlight. Talia’s gaze at him appeared indifferent, just like always.

 

Heh, he had taught her well.

 

Though...he didn’t teach her everything.

 

He had to have some secrets of his own. 

 

Ra’s gestured with his hand, “How is the boy?”

 

Talia’s green eyes didn’t express any sign of emotion as she spoke of Damian’s condition. The scientist’s theory had proved correct. 

 

“Interesting.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Ra’s spread his arms wide, “I recall we had a brief discussion after the child was placed artificial womb. To make things simple to explain, I added a certain type of DNA to the developing embryo. Needless to say, it has been successful, in small spurts. That I can’t deny, it has been a major disappointment.”

 

Ra’s saw his daughter’s hands twitch as she nodded and turned to leave. Hm, good, he had her attention, though if he was being very honest with himself, her opinion on the matter didn’t matter to him. Hell, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her is she tampers with any part of the plan. Talia may be his daughter, but she is simply more than a pawn in this game of his. Any love he had for her dissolved a very long time ago. 

 

Damian, perhaps, he feels some familial affection towards the boy. He didn’t feel like a pawn to Ra’s. Yes, perhaps he did love his grandfather, but love doesn’t mean affection to him. Emotions are a troublesome thing and something he rather now deal with. After all, god-like beings flock together. Damian wasn’t on that level yet, but he will get there soon. 

 

“Lord Ra’s, the boy has been set out in the sun like you asked.”

 

“Good, continue with the small tests.”

 

“But what about Lady Talia?”

 

“Don’t worry about my daughter, concentrate on the task I have given you. Talia will be dealt with accordingly.”

 

If she does the right thing and doesn’t interfere with his plans. It’s not like she loves Damian like she so-called said. He can see that she only cared about the boy when he asked about his father. That’s about it.

 

Well, the show must go on.

 

___________________________________

 

Ra’s was pissed.

 

No, the word pissed isn’t the word to describe his loathing and boiling rage as he stomped down to the halls towards his daughter’s chambers. He could only see red as a few of his personal guards followed him in stride, one of them handing him his sword. He took it and kicked down the wooden doors. No matter, he can always have that replaced or fixed much later. 

 

After all, Talia will not be in this room any longer.

 

“Leave us.” His voice held no room for argument as Talia’s handmaidens disappeared through the door.  His daughter looked smug, and of course, she would look smug. She just murdered his grandson, with a clone she grew of himself. Just because the boy made his own decision, his own choice without him or his mother breathing down his damn neck. 

 

A childish thing. More like a child throwing a temper tantrum because their favorite toy was taken away from them.

 

Unacceptable.

 

“What have you done?”

 

Talia flipped her long brown hair from her face and gave him a shrug, Ra’s suppressed the growing urge to shove his blade into her neck, bathing the white marble floor red with her blood. However, he will give her a chance to explain herself, because surely,  _ surely _ there is an explanation for this madness. 

 

Surely.

 

“Damian was becoming more and more of a nuisance. I had asked him multiple times to return and claim his birthright, and he refused. My lord, he has grown soft, even had the very nerve to plead for his life and call off his clone.”

 

Ra’s eye twitched as his brain processed those words. Damian had grown soft, okay that is a bit of a problem. But the last time the Head of the Demon checked, the boy was slowly gaining his father’s approval. He wasn’t amused, or impressed at the action of his daughter, which honestly reminded him of a thing she says a moment ago.

 

Claiming his birthright.

 

Which was correct, but here was the problem.

 

Ra’s is the leader of the League of Assassins; he commands, the troops will follow. Talia isn’t even his Second in Command, and even then she would have to get permission to send a clone to kill his grandson, let alone place a fucking bounty on the child. He was the commander, not  _ her. _

 

Though, Ra’s can be petty himself too.

 

Whatever, at least he has multiple steps to his plans and fifty different scenarios with failed attempts. This explained Talia’s sneaking out for the past two and a half years, and he applauded her for a job well done. 

 

However…

 

Damian was an  _ investment, a pawn _ , and a larger game he was playing and Talia ruined that for him. That would not stand.

 

“I expected better from you, my daughter. That was truly a pathetic excuse, and need I to remind you that I have spies across the globe. Every city, every town, every  _ blasted village _ . As my grandson laid there in a pool of his blood, you shed a tear for him. Yet, you have the nerve to say he was going soft, oh my dear. So are you. Congratulations, really, I’m impressed with your tactics. However, it is clear that you couldn’t handle that fact that Damian benefited more from the Detective's hands than your hands.”

 

“....Father-”

 

Ra’s raised a hand, “I’m not finished. This is where the problem lies before us. Damian was an investment. To me, to a plan far bigger than your little squabble. The investment? The damn child needed to be ALIVE!”

 

Talia tilted her head and smiled coyly at him. “It appears you have grown soft, my Father. Maybe you are too invested in Damian’s life.”

 

Ra’s snapped his fingers, his guards rushing forward in an attempt to disarm Talia.

 

Disarm? Or kill?

 

He didn't give the order to kill her but they tried, only to be gutted by her own blades. 

 

“Are you disowning me?! I have been a loyal servant to you, Father!”

 

“Correct, but remember that thing you did earlier? I don’t like it when people mess with my things. Daughter or not.”

 

Ra’s calmly walked forward, and eventually, five of his guards got the message and disarmed his daughter quickly and held her down. She let out a laugh and looked at him smiling.

 

“Go ahead and kill me, but I will be back.”

 

“Actually, you won’t. You are a thorn in my side now, and all thorns need to be removed before they become a real problem. I have given you so much more freedom than my generals. Mainly because you are my daughter, but no more. Goodbye, Talia.”

 

Talia’s head rolled from her body onto the floor, trailing blood on the way. Hm, he could decorate this room as a torture chamber.

 

Oh, the possibilities.

 

“Burn the corpse and scatter her ashes into the wind. Make sure there isn’t a trace of her left, I would prefer not to have her rise from the dead and presume revenge.”

 

One can’t be too careful with a dead body; after all in this world, people who die don’t usually just stay dead. 

 

He should know.

 

“Of course my lord. As for the boy?”

 

“I have a plan of course, but I must require the “help” of the Bat.”

 

Ra’s watch his servants carry the corpse of his daughter out of the room. The pool of fresh blood was still there and he scorned at it. A stain on his reputation, like Slade Wilson was. 

 

How wonderful.

 

_ “You have grown soft on the boy.” _

 

Did he care for his grandson? Ra’s obviously didn’t want the boy to die, especially at a young age. That would be a devastating dent in his plans, but as much as the boy’s new ways irritate him. He doesn’t want to kill Damian, even for a petty excuse. 

 

Maybe deep down…

 

Ra’s growled and strode away. He truly cannot stand emotions - he thought the Pit had suppressed them. Emotions confuse you and cause you to rethink everything you ever know. They are complicated and trivial things of mortal men. And yet, to hear his grandson was killed, he couldn’t help the sense of a great loss to him. 

 

Emotions are trivial.

 

And, yes, he will admit now that he did love Damian. In his own twisted way. The Pit is an unpredictable force and tends to make its user’s emotions a bit...heightened, and Ra's has bathed in it more times than he can count. Well, Ra’s has zero fucks to give. He has been around for quite a while. He still did have any remorse in him for killing off Talia. She was merely an heir to his throne, a child in a quick, loveless marriage. That marriage didn’t even last that long, anyway. Talia’s death was coming anyway, he just did her a favour really. Deathstroke is something else. 

 

Then again, Ra’s is something else himself.

 

_____________________

 

“Sir, the Batman has taken the boy’s body! Shall we process with our forces?”

 

Ra’s pondered over the question, should he pursue the Detective? Or should he play out his plan? Honestly, though getting the Bat’s here was too easy, taking Damian’s body sent the Bat in such a rage. Entertaining, if Ra’s was honest.

 

Regardless, Ra’s pay his respects to Damian’s body, his heart ached at the memory.

 

Uh oh, feelings...emotions.

 

Oh dear.

 

“No, do not pursue, I have done what I needed to do. Now, someone lay out how much damage had been caused?”

 

He should really invest in a second fortress or mansion. 

 

Ra’s sat on his throne has servants and scientist bustled about the area. True, his plans didn’t go the way he wanted them to…

 

Ah, fuck it.

 

The plan is over. His increasing strong affections for his grandson. Trivial, but for now he will settle for it. He has ten thousand or more years on his belt. He wasn’t planning on going anywhere. 

 

Plus, he had a feeling that things will start to change.

 

Good. Ra’s welcomed it.

 

  
  
  



	2. Symtomyns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, my dudes!
> 
> Happy reading!

It was hot.

 

No, it wasn’t hot.

 

Damian was burning up from the  _ inside. _ The boy stumbled up the stairs of the Batcave, and trudging up the steps of the manor to the bathroom, tearing off his uniform as he went. His breath coming out in pants, as he stumbled into the bathroom and locked the door. His knees buckled and he collapsed, leaning against the door. Damian peeled off his mask and mindlessly threw in an unseen direction. 

 

He didn’t care. 

 

He didn’t care that he nearly gotten himself severely injured and was forced off patrol to go home. He didn’t care that he gotten scolded by Drake when he returned.

 

_ He was too hot to care. _

 

It couldn’t be an illness that was bothering him,  Mother  Talia had made sure of that. Every illness known to man and a few that only Ra’s Al Ghul knew about, he was given every vaccine and safety precaution. Damian let out a quiet moan of pain as he pulled himself up using the door handle. Only for the brass handle to break and he hit the floor again, face first. Damian could hear hurried footsteps coming in his direction, probably Grayson or Todd. Heh, he didn’t realize that they were back from patrol, or the most likely case they followed him from the docks back to the manor.  

 

The heat tingled on his skin, blood roaring in his ears to the point he couldn’t hear Grayson and Todd’s voices, thick with concern and worry. Damian never wanted that feeling of fire beneath his ribs, that burning, scorching heat nestled under his skin, to emerge. It hurts, like fire in his throat, on his tongue. He felt like he's going to turn to ash, to dust, like that heat is going to burn him inside and out. It hurts so badly that he just screams soundlessly as they rise like a wave, stronger than his control, stronger than iron, and drowns him.   
  
That happened, once or twice. This time he just closes his eyes and there's green  _ fire _ in his veins, flickering between his finger, begging for him to release this pent-up energy. 

 

So he does, opening his fists letting the green fire engulf his hands and letting it fizz outward. The fire dancing around the bathroom, the heat he felt inside began to lessen. Damian sighs with relief before his vision fades to black, his body falling to ground going limp. 

 

By the time, Grayson and Todd manage to open the door, everything had black scorch marks. The mirror was a mess, completely liquified as it slowly oozed down from the elegant silver frame. The bathtub that was once pearl white was black, the metal faucet was also melted. The two older male blinked and looked at the chaos in the room. 

 

“What the-”

 

Dick knelt down to where Damian laid limp, his hand hovering over the young boy’s skin. He could feel the heat rising from Damian’s skin, which made him concerned. Dick touched Damian’s skin for a brief moment before pulling back, hissing in pain. Holy shit, how is Damian  _ not dead _ ? 

 

“Master Dick, Master Jason, I heard a commotion here-oh dear.”

 

Dick quickly rolled Damian onto his side, “Alfred, we are going to need Bruce and some oven mitts. Damian’s skin is too hot to touch...like you could burn yourself on it.”

 

Jason crossed his arms, “Sounds like how Kori’s skin can be like when she gets too overheated or overwhelmed.”

 

Dick snickered, “Overwhelmed. Why isn’t anyone just whelmed.” His hand hovered over Damian’s skin again, not feeling the heat rise on his body. He touched it lightly again and sighed with relief. Eventually, he managed to get Damian into his bedroom and on his bed, with Bruce and Tim demanding that tests are run on the kid. Thankfully, Alfred got the last say so they both had to agree to let Damian rest. Then later, they can run blood tests. Surprisingly, the boy was unconscious the entire time, which was odd as well. Damian was known to be the lightest sleeper in the family, with Jason being a close second. 

 

Dick sat on the edge of the bed and stroke Damian’s bangs away from his closed eyes. He was still burning up with a high fever of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

“Dick.”

 

The former Boy Wonder looked up to see Tim at the door. The Red Robin looked very uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. Dick gestured over to Damian’s bedside.

 

“So? What do you suspect?”

 

Tim opened his watch, revealing a holographic image of Damian’s vitals, the bars go up and down. He pointed to a small chart, and Dick leaned in to squint at it.

 

“Dick, Damian isn’t human. He is only half human, the other half...we suspect that it’s alien but we are not completely sure.”

 

Dick’s eyes widen he looked back at Damian, who was still unconscious. This..revelation, explains so much, yet so little. It explains how Damian was able to take a vicious beating from the Joker a while back. It explains the injuries that seem to disappear within an hour, even the most severe of injuries are gone within 48 hours. 

 

“So Damian isn’t human, so that means either Ra’s or Talia injected him with someone’s DNA. Maybe Clark’s?”

 

Tim shook his head, “If it was Clark’s we would know. Hell, Bruce would know, this DNA in him...it’s too foreign for us to tell.” 

 

Dick nodded and crossed his arms, looking down at Damian. The young boy had been his Robin when Bruce had “died” and they had become very close, much to the point Dick could almost tell when Damian was upset, happy, etc. But this...he didn’t know what to think. Damian was still Damian...but he was also something else. 

 

And someone else’s son as well. 

 

Dick knew that Talia wouldn’t be the one to implant this into Damian, not before injecting it into multiple clones to see if there are any side effects. Dick wasn’t stupid, he read the reports and the filled notebooks of Talia’s notes of the process of creating Heretic and the observations of all of Damian’s birthday challenges. The last time he read them, Dick had to grab a wastebasket to throw up in. 

 

“Go tell Bruce, I’m going to stand here until he awakens.”

 

Tim nods and pats Dick on the back, “I hope the brat gets better.” 

 

Dick had to laugh at Tim’s comment, “I hope so too, the place is too quiet with him bickering with you.” Tim threw Dick a playful glare as he left the room, calling for Bruce to come see his findings. The former Boy Wonder closed the bedroom door and sat on Damian’s bedside again, stroking the young boy’s bangs. 

 

“Damian, you’re starting to worry everyone. First, you die, then you are revived with meta powers, now you’re most likely part alien. Though I can’t blame you any of them, it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t have a say in any of it.” Dick rambled carefully tucking Damian into his bed. He made sure not to cover his upper body, Dick didn’t want to risk Damian overheating again. 

 

He kissed Damian’s forehead before tiptoeing out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He turned to see Jason leaning against the wall, staring at him. Dick sighed before pulling Jason into his own room and locking the door.

 

“Paranoid much Dickie-Bird?”

 

Dick just gave him a deadpanned face with one eyebrow raised, “Really?”

 

Jason put his hands up in the surrender position, “Wrong question to ask I get it. Now on the subject of the demon brat, I had Roy run a scan on his Robin uniform...Dick the scan shows the same levels of radiation as Kori.”

 

Dick frowned, “Same levels of radiation? Like energy levels, or the same level of radiation her skin gets off due to getting energy from the sun?”

 

Jason made a hand gesture as he continued to speak, “The second one and here is the odd part when Roy checked for older sights. That level of radiation as always been there, but when he was revived, it became more noticeable.”

 

“Meaning?”

 

“Meaning, Dickie-Bird, whatever is happening to Damian, it sure hell isn’t puberty.”

 

Dick mumbled a curse and started pacing around his room. Thankfully, it was pretty big so there was plenty of room to pace around in a circle. Jason plopped himself on the bed, simply watching his older brother pace about. He wasn’t the only one worried about Damian, hell Jason was too. The little brat has wormed his way into his heart, and as much as Jason wanted to hide face, he was terrified of what was happening to him. Sure, he had his theories but they don’t make sense.

 

“Little Wing?”

 

Jason sighed and got up, “Pacing wouldn’t help Damian, I have a theory but it doesn’t make sense.”

 

“I’m all ears.”

 

Jason started talking immediately, “So, let's start by thinking about Damian himself. What has he accomplished that even  _ we  _ can’t do?”

 

Dick opened his laptop and quickly pulled out a file on Damian. He has files on everyone in the Bat Family, including Wally’s family, for personal reasons of course. The former Boy Wonder scrolled through the documents before stopping and pointing at one particular event.

 

“Two years ago, when Ra’s al Ghul implanted a chip on Damian’s spine to control him. Bruce got it out but it should have taken a few months for him to heal. It took about 2 weeks max and Damian was back to top shape.”

 

Jason blinked and leaned forward to look at the document himself, “I was with Roy and Kori at the time, but that is weird. And a little disturbing.”

 

Dick nodded his head, “Agreed, and here is another thing, this is in Ra’s notes. When Damian was about 6 years old, he was issued out a birthday challenge. The challenge was walking on top of a 5 mile trail of hot coal. It says that his body absorb the heat and energy from the coal and he didn’t feel a thing, in addition, his feet healed almost automatically.”

 

Jason clenched his hand into a fist, “And they just thought that was okay? What if he didn’t heal?”

 

Dick let out a shaken breath, “I don’t know Jason, I really don’t know what to tell you, but it’s a possibility that…”

 

“That?”

 

Dick shook his head, “It’s almost laughable really.”

 

Jason gently shoved Dick’s shoulder, “Nothing is funny about this situation, plus Alfred is going to have a field day cleaning up that bathroom. Or we could just tear it down and replace the entire thing.”

 

“Not funny.”

 

“Yep, so what is this theory?”

 

“Damian might be part Tamarean.”

 

“Oh shit.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a Comment and a Kudos


	3. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you remember anything from the other night?”
> 
> Damian glowered, “Did one of my family members or Father put you to this?”
> 
> Hal immediately put both hands up in a defensive position, “Hey, I just got here and Dick was worried about you. Plus, it’s Thursday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, my dudes
> 
> Happy Friday!!!!
> 
> And this is the next chapter of the story. I'm very pleased that this fic has gotten such a positive review! Thank you so much!
> 
> Happy reading!

When Damian woke up the next day, there was no feeling of heat burning through him. Nor did he felt like there was pent-up energy within him. He felt...normal. Which was weird, even for his own family. He sat up in his bed, confused. The last time he remembered...was passing out in the middle of the bathroom. Someone-namely Grayson probably set him into bed, though the young boy couldn’t remember the reason why he felt so off last night. His memories from yesterday were pretty much a blur from morning till he reached the bathroom in a feverish-panic. 

 

He leaped out of bed and headed down the stairs, right after greeting his pets. Who surprisedly were afraid of him...Titus took one look at him and ran in the other direction. Damian frowned, feeling a little hurt at that. He opened the door to Goliath's room only to dodge the sudden swipe of razor-sharp claws coming in his direction. 

 

Damian growled, “Goliath, what the fuck is wrong with you? It’s me, Damian!”

 

He only received a growl of a warning from the bat-dragon to leave before the door was pushed closed. Damian attempted to open it again, but the door stubbornly remained shut. In a childish antics, Damian stuck his tongue out and leave, stomping down the stairs to the kitchen. He could smell Pennyworth making pancakes thank god too. Damian didn’t want to throw up waffles again, like yesterday.

 

Once was enough, thank you very much.

 

And despite Pennyworth’s mastery of cooking and baking skills, Damian still couldn’t figure out how the butler couldn’t make waffles for the life of him. Either they were too uncooked or too burned. Or, like yesterday, the butler tried a new waffles recipe that had almost everyone reteching. 

 

They were disgusting. Even Pennyworth knew this, though Damian had a sneaking suspicion that it was payback for the last night’s patrol. Father didn’t call the butler when he was injured and it took Jordan coming from a mission on the other end of the galaxy to rescue him. Though Damian didn’t mind, he got to see his other Dad. 

 

However, he knew that Bruce hadn’t worked up the courage to officially ask Jordan to move in with them or marry the man. They had been dating for about 3 years, Damian didn’t know what Father was waiting for but he could understand the anxiety. The fear that Jordan would leave because of all the emotional baggage that Bruce carried with him, like a metal safe on his shoulders. 

 

Personally, Damian thought that his Father was being paranoid. He hadn’t told anyone but he researched Hal’s history and background, just to see if the man was perfect for his Father. And Damian had found that Hal suffered from  Urbach-Wiethe disease, a disease that destroyed both sides of his amygdalas.   That being said, Hal was physically incapable of feeling fear, which it be frightened by haunted houses or flying almost recklessly into danger. 

 

He was called the  _ Man Without Fear _ for a reason in the superhero community. But after that realization for Damian, the phrase took a whole different meaning. The boy made a mental note to discuss with Father or Jordan for that matter, it would most likely help their relationship, so Jordan could  _ finally  _ move in. Damian was a little tired of having to ask Father or Grayson to take him to visit. 

 

Damian could hear his family’s lively chatter at the table, and when Damian got there the chatter stopped as everyone looked at him. He flinched back, very uncomfortable by the sudden stares. There were certain degrees of shock, while Father’s face was like stone. Damian’s heart sank into his stomach, he didn’t do anything right? He couldn’t remember everything from the last 24 hours but he could recall that Father sent him away from the middle of patrol. But that was about it, Damian didn’t do anything wrong.

 

Or, at least he didn’t think so. 

 

“You okay, Little D?”

 

Damian frowned, “Why are you all staring at me, like I awoken from the death?” He turned to see Todd about to make one of his jokes about being dead, but a sharp look from Grayson silenced him. Weird, normally Father was the one to silent Todd. Also, he avoided the question, he felt fine but he also felt like he was missing something. 

 

He slid into his normal seat while dodging a pat on the head from Steph, Damian wasn’t in the mood today. Or really any day to get his head patted. Slowly the chatter continued, but it sounded more forced like everyone was walking on eggshells around him.

 

Again.

 

Damian suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore, he pushed himself from the table and stalked up to his room, ignoring the calls of his name. Why was everyone acting like he was the spawn of a Demon? 

 

He is but that isn’t the point.

 

He hasn’t killed anyone, or threaten anyone with bodily harm that didn’t go above dismemberment. 

 

Damian closed his door and sunk down to his knees. This had to be a really bad dream, his pets were hostile to him and his family was walking around on eggshells around him again. Even when he was getting used to living with his Father, his pets were not hostile towards him, he was hostile towards him. 

 

Is this Karma happening to him? Is the universe punishing him finally for all the shit and hurt he had caused in the past 10 years? Damian attempted to resolve the repercussions of the Year of Blood, but apparently, that wasn’t enough for the world. It was punishing him, and Damian was  _ glad  _ for it. He deserved it, even if his family and his friends didn’t think so. 

 

“Damian?”

 

Damian grumbled at the knocking at his door, “Go away, Grayson!” The knocking stopped before it started again. Unknowingly to him, Damian’s eyes flashed a toxic green as he grew angry at the notion. 

 

“Didn’t I say go away?!”

 

“Yo, kiddo. It’s me...can you let me open the door?” 

 

At the sound of Hal’s voice, Damian’s anger lessen but he was still pretty pissed off. As the door opened he was met with the sheepish grin on the Green Lantern’s face. His hair was a mess, as the man shrugged off the signature flight jacket he constantly wore. Damian went to sit down on his bed looking down, much more content with studying the tiniest details on the floor. He felt his bed dip as Hal sat next to him. They didn’t talk for a while before Hal turned to him and spoke up,

 

“Do you remember anything from the other night?”

 

Damian glowered, “Did one of my family members or Father put you to this?”

 

Hal immediately put both hands up in a defensive position, “Hey, I just got here and Dick was worried about you. Plus, it’s Thursday.”

 

Thursday.

 

Ah, yes. Damian now remembers. Thursdays were the days of the week Hal attempted to pick him up to spend time with him. Something that Father had suggested when the two were about five months into their relationship. At first, Damian didn’t see the point of going every day, but now after he had been dead for over about 3 months, he looked forward to each one. This Thursday...they were going to a movie, Hal wanted to check out the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Ironically Diana hadn’t seen it yet, though it was about her life. 

 

Damian sighed and looked at his palms, “No I don’t know about last night. The very last thing I remember was passing out in the middle of the bathroom floor. Now, my pets are hostile towards me, and my family is starting to treat me in a similar matter to their behavior when I first lived with Father.” Each word as he spoke was raised an octave and in the end, he felt that intense heat again. Damian swallowed it down, not willing to pass out a second time. He took a breath in an attempt calm himself down, looking over to Hal who looked worried. The man reached out to bring Damian into his arms, humming quietly. It was a recent thing really, that Hal’s humming or singing helped Damian calm himself down. The Green Lantern was actually a decent singer, something that catches Bruce off guard.

 

Gods, when will they move in together already?

"Well, Damian. It is your birthday..."

Oh...

Damian forgot about it

 

Damian visibly relaxed, his eyes closing as he snuggled closer to his surrogate father. “TT, you and my Father should talk about you moving into the manor.” 

 

Hal laughed, “Little Bat, we already discussed that, and...I think we are both ready for it.” Damian hummed with delight at that statement.

 

“Good, then we can do our Thursday rituals.”

 

Hal cooed and snuggled Damian closer, “Yeah. Hey, I will “talk” to Bruce for treating you like that, but you did scare him yesterday. Dick and Jason found you feverish and at the dangerous levels of fever on the floor. Bruce didn’t tell me much, last night but he mentioned the bathroom being completely destroyed.” 

 

Damian froze. 

 

Destroyed?

 

No...he didn’t have the power to do that. Did he? His head began to hurt as his emotions spiral into shambles. His breathing began laboured as the pent-up energy and heat raged on within him. 

 

Then everything went black again.

 

When Damian came to again, his bedroom was charred. The bed was a blackened mess, with his walls burned with burn marks. He blinked before looking around frantic. Damian didn’t see Hal in the thick smoke, he stood up unaware that he himself was unburnt. Just like before. 

 

“Damian!”

 

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him out of his room. Damian flaided almost blindingly as he was pulled out of his room. The fire alarm beeps continuous, as his family raced up the stairs in frantic. Damian was pulled in different direction, everyone talking above one another. It was too overwhelming, and being as small as he was, Damian wiggled out from underneath everyone and ran down the stairs. He paused at a mirror and looked at himself. 

 

Nothing as changed.

 

Except...his freckles were much darker than his actual skin, more orange looking. And his hair...Damian thought it was black. He  _ knew  _ it was black, but it now had a reddish black color to it.

 

“What’s happening to me…?” Damian whispered to himself, suddenly afraid to touch the mirror. He backed away from it and moved to sit in the love chair in the living room. After ten minutes, Dick came in to join him on the couch.

 

“Is their room?” he said cheekily, Damian had to roll his eyes. With little effort, the former Boy Wonder picked Damian up and placed him into his lap.

 

“What happened?”

 

Damian shrugged and yawned, “I don’t know Grayson. Papa was talking and then everything went black, but I remembered everything that happened this time.”

 

Grayson tilted his head, “That’s good...at least. Bruce wants to run some tests on you but first. Go into the kitchen little D.” Dick ruffled Damian’s hair before placing a wet kiss on his cheek. He slapped Dick’s hand away before sticking out his tongue again.

 

Cut him some slack, m’kay.

 

Damian is still a 12-year-old kid.

 

Dick watched the boy leave for the kitchen before frowning. He could hear whispered yelling between Hal and Bruce. Most likely about Bruce’s treatment of Damian again. Bruce was getting better but he was still far off, it was understandable but not it kinda wasn’t excusable. The man had multiple children with different backgrounds, Dick had yet to figure out why Bruce had a hard time communicating with Damian.

 

Though when one sat to think about it, both Bruce and Damian were almost the same. Physically, when Bruce was the same age as Damian and mentally. Both are stubborn and preferred dancing around the problem. 

 

And both are not willing to admit that.

 

Jason and he haven’t told Bruce their theory about Damian yet. They told Tim, and the boy was going to contact Ra’s Al Ghul to see if the rumours are true. Dick wrung his hands together if they were correct…

 

Then Kori is going to have another sibling.

 

“Grayson!”

 

Dick ran into the kitchen worried, only to be greeted with a  piece of cake to the face. He fell on his ass, and laid on the ground laughing, wiping the frosting from his face.

 

“Thanks a lot little D.”

 

The boy in question had a wide grin on his face, something that was becoming more and more common but still very much rare. Damian had a piece of the cake perfectly cut next to him with his hands covered with buttercream frosting. Dick snorted and got up, smiling.

 

“Happy 13th Birthday.”

 

“TT...it’s trivial, but thank you, Grayson!”

 

Alfred patted Damian’s shoulder as he handed Damian a card, “For you Master Damian.”

 

Damian blinked and looked at the card, it was formal with a wax seal on the opening. Odd, yet he opened it anyway, ready to flee the scene if the card was a bomb. 

 

It happened once before.  

 

_ Honored Guest: _

_ Together with their friends and families, _

_ Hal Jordan _

_ And _

_ Bruce Wayne _

_ Formally invite you to their wedding day _

 

There was more but the last sentence had Damian smiling as Hal and Bruce entered the kitchen, hand in hand. 

 

“Surprise Damian.”

 

“When did you ask him?” 

 

Hal looked at Bruce with knowing eyes, “You know Damian, your father can be very romantic when he wants to be.” 

 

Bruce snorted, “I simply said, ‘I love you. Marry me.”

 

The Green Lantern shrugged before heading over to go get cake. Damian looked at his Father before nodding his head towards Hal.

 

“You made a good choice.”

 

“Thank you, Damian.”

 

Hal blushed behind his cake, “Well, Damian since you are thirteen you are capable of being apart of the Teen Titans.”

 

Damian blinked, his heart leaping into his throat, “The Teen Titans?”

 

Bruce threw a mock glare at Hal, “We will discuss it in the cave later. Right now, let us enjoy ourselves-Hal please stop drowning yourself in cake…”

 

Damian watched his family as Bruce attempted to stop his fiance from eating all the cake. Dick was on his phone recording the entire thing. Tim and Jason were most likely in the living room due to Damian hearing Jason ranting about why the  _ Throne of Glass  _ series isn’t a good YA series. He could agree with that, statement.

 

Damian let himself smile, maybe the world wasn’t punishing him after all.

 

Maybe it saw that he paid for his past crimes with his death.

 

So he got a break.

 

And he was planning to enjoy that break. 

 

“Bruce you have to give the kid the Talk.”

 

“NOT NECESSARY!”

 

“LITTLE WING, DAMIAN IS STILL A CHILD!”

 

“OKAY AGAIN? I DON’T GIVE A FUCK!”

 

“ _ WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!!!” _

 

Oh boy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a Comment or Kudos


	4. New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian joins the Teen Titans, and things are well. There was a slight mishap but relatively things are going well for the 13-year-old kid.
> 
> Then shit had to hit the fan, didn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, my dudes!
> 
> I have officially graduated from high school! *confetti popper is popped* which means I can focus on creating fics and other things. My schedule of updating every Friday is now back on. However, I will let everyone know on my Tumblr if I can't post that week.
> 
> Now moving to the fic of today. I did a liberty to change how Dick and Kori broke up. It is implied that it wasn't on good terms, however, it will be cleared up in the next few chapters. 
> 
> Also, I wanna thank everyone for supporting this fic, I had no idea it would be a success ^ ^ thanks, guys!
> 
> Btw, watch out for more new fic AUs being released soon. If you like Batlantern (Bruce Wayne/Hal Jordan) then I believe one of them will be pleasing to you.
> 
> If some of the words in the chapter sound familiar, my good friend Nike wrote a fic for this AU as a gift to me. Check it out on her ao3 profile and her other stories 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!

"I don't understand why I'm going to live with the Teen Titans. I'm capable of working with others, and there isn't a need for me to learn social skills."

 

Hal only snorted looking over at Damian, dressed in his Robin uniform frowning, arms crossed too. Gods, the boy looks just like his father when he does that. Hell, Damian looked like the bratty 13-year-old that he was supposed to be. Still, he tuned most of what the kid was saying out, focusing on the road. To think that Bruce finally, trusts him with the Batmobile, that spells out a recipe for disaster. Though the Lantern was tempted to give it a speed run, he liked sitting down without pain, thank you very enough.

 

"Are you even listening?"

 

Hal shrugged, "Not really, the same whining came from your dad when he was "forced" to go to a Justice League meeting. Even though he founded the damn thing. The point is, that joining the Teen Titans will most likely help you work with people who are not your family or me and the Lanterns." 

 

Damian snorted, dismissing the statement with a wave of his hand, "I'm capable of working with others. I worked with Jon for a while."

 

Hal rolled his eyes and ruffled the boy's hair, "Let me, rephrase that statement, people that your father doesn't normally work with. The Teen Titans are...how you say...the baby league to the Young Justice League. If you can work well with them, then you can move up to Young Justice League." 

 

Damian just looked at him, "..TT."

 

"That's it?"

 

"Well, what do you want me to say? Father has already transferred my schoolwork to California, I will be taking online classes for about a year. The only thing I look follow to is seeing you...when you are on-world."

 

Hal smiled, "Sure thing kid. You will like the team, though you wouldn't be leading it. Koriand'r will until she deems you ready to lead the team."

 

Damian frowned, "Koriand'r...isn't she the Tamaerean that Dick dated for a while, and they almost got married until shit happened?"

 

Hal winced and focused on the road taking a sharp left into the woods, "That is...one way of putting it."

 

The boy crossed his arms, "Of course, though I am surprised that they are still friends. Isn't she an exiled princess?"

 

"Not anymore, from what Dick has told me and what she herself has told me, she and her older sister have forgiven each other. It is a slow process but she is welcome back her planet anytime she wants."

 

The car stopped into the front of a tower, shaped like a T, which Damian frowned at. Not very discrete... Regardless, he could see some of the team standing in front of the Tower, presumingly waiting for him. As he stepped out of the car, the team moved to the sides to let a tall female, clearly alien walk towards them. 

 

So this was Koriand'r.

 

Grayson clearly had a type.

 

Redheads.

 

Regardless, she greeted Hal with a smile and hug, the two discussing something in an entirely different language. Damian tilted his head with curiosity, the language sounded familiar to him, yet it was foreign to him. Probably, Koriand'r' home planet's language. Hal speaking didn't really surprise him in the least, the advantages of wielding a power ring. One is able to translate and speak whatever alien language within seconds. After their conversation ended, Hal turned to him and ruffled his hair,

 

"I gotta return this to your dad."

 

Damian looked at him, smirking, "You mean you're going to take it on a joyride before returning it to Father?"

 

Hal had the nerve to look offended, his hand placed on his heart, "What? Me doing that? Never."

 

"I call bullshit."

 

The Lantern laughed and rolled his eyes, "It's only for fifteen minutes, I wouldn't let a scratch. See ya kid."

 

"Bye...Jor-Papa."

 

Hal froze at the sudden change but he smiled at him, "I'll have Batman check on you in a little while. Bye!"

 

Damian watched Hal speed off into the Batmobile, why Father decided to give Hal the keys he will never know. A hand laid on his shoulder and he swiftly turned, one hand on his sword. Instincts gained by Talia’s harsh training, but one can never be too careful. 

 

"Easy, Damian."

 

Damian looked up at Koriand'r and tilted his head, "Hello, Koriand'r. Nice to meet you finally. Grayson speaks well of you."

 

She smiled at that statement, "Thank you, and please call me Kori." 

 

"Of course."

 

Weird that he was this comfortable around her. The only people he was comfortable around that weren't his family or Hal were Maya, Colin, Billy, and Jon. Granted he had been on missions and adventures with them for long periods of time. But this was the first time he actually connected to someone without having to get to know them for weeks on end. Weird, it freaked him out a bit. He heard Kori talking to him about something but his eyes glazed over. The same fire within him that plague him for 2 whole weeks was back. Surging through his veins and his blood, begging to be released again. Damian growled, attempting to rein in back in. The last thing he needs is for something to happen, again. 

 

Not today.

 

Please, not today.

 

"Damian? Is something wrong?"

 

His vision was still glassy but he could see Kori's eyes full of concern as well as the rest of his new teammates' concern as they edged closer towards him. Damian got the feeling of claustrophobia and again backing away from them. The fire was increasing despite his futile attempts to rein it in. The same fire caused his eyes to burn underneath his mask. 

 

"Damian!"

 

He turned to look at Kori, his eyes wild with fear, unknowing to him, his eyes glowed a toxic green. "I'm fine! Just...leave me alone!" Without looking back, he hurried into the Tower, he didn't know where he was going. Hell, Damian only knew the basics of the Tower from Drake and Grayson. Which if he was being honest, didn't help in the least. He made a sharp turn and enter someone's room. He could care less if it was someone else's, he just needed the burning to stop. 

 

He frantically climbed on top of the bed and just sat there, rocking back and forth. Damian shut his eyes tight in a futile attempt to get the burning to stop. It only made the burning much more worst, threatening to spill out. The boy reached for his mask and ripped it off, his vision suddenly turning green. Why couldn't it stop? 

 

For a while, Damian sat in the middle of the bed, then as quickly as it came the burning was gone. And his vision when from green to back to normal. Damian sighed and fell onto his back, fatigue washing over him. He was tired both mentally and emotionally. It was late to call what was happening to him, symptoms of dying and being revived. It wasn't an inject he had gotten when he was under his mother's reign. As he mused over all possible situations and he soon fell asleep. Too tired to think anymore or to get up.

 

_______________

 

Koriand'r stood there in shock as her teammates, namely Beast Boy took it among himself to figure out what had just happened. She herself was still processing everything. She had greeted Damian and was introducing him to the team, though he wasn't listening. Then something set him off, as she attempted to calm him down...his eyes.

 

They were the exact same as hers when she was overwhelmed. A toxic green through the mask had matched her as Damian practically fled into the Tower. Kori looked at the small group of her eyes before walking into the Tower herself. It was quiet...without the bustling of the others happening, Kori felt uncomfortable. Regardless, Damian was in there somewhere so she started looking. 

 

For a while, she came across nothing except Jamie talking to Bart via Skype and Beast Bo-Garfield attempting to teach Raven how to play video games. Kori had to smile at that and giggled, Raven knew how to play video games, given that they have played some while the boys were sleeping. She just is making Garfield's life more difficult. 

"Is Damian here?"

 

No one had seen him since the late morning. Kori felt a bit anxious as she continued her search, Batman wanted to check on him soon. As she floated up the stairs, too lazy to walk, something compelled her to check the rooms. Her room, specifically of all things. Still, Kori pushed open her room, expecting to see Damian looking through her stuff. Instead, she came across, Damian still dressed his Robin uniform, buried in her blankets, asleep. 

 

She wasn't sure if she wanted to take a picture or wake up him. 

 

She did the first option. 

 

Kori had been told what Damian was like, from both Dick and Jason. Bratty, arrogant, resourceful but he can be a pain to work with at first. She had been ready to scold him continuously for the first 3 weeks or so. Instead, she was met with a boy who loved his future father-in-law and was capable of being frightened. But of what, she didn't know. Kori sat at the edge of her bed, slowly peeling away the blanket, revealing Damian's unmasked face. 

He really did look like a child. 

 

Not a child who had been pushed into a war on crime in Gotham. Kori had gotten a bit of information about his past, but everything else she had to ask Damian himself.

 

"Try not to be surprised if he snaps at you or doesn't say anything." Dick had told her as Jason braided her hair. 

 

"Yeah, it took both me and Dickie-bird to finally get some insight into his training with Ra's al Ghul and Talia. It wasn't pretty. For him to open up about his entire childhood, that wouldn't be likely. But the main thing to get from this that, he has to trust you first. Give him a good fucking reason to trust you and he will open up. Trust me. Worked for me and Dick."

 

"Language."

 

Jason had given Dick the bird without looking up from her hair, "Please, everyone knows that you are not as innocent as you like us to believe. You swear like a sailor, both in English and in Romani."

 

"Shush."

 

Kori smiled at the memory. Two of her favorite people in the world sitting there will her enjoying themselves. The female alien made a mental note to talk to both of them about planning another sleepover later in the future.

 

She may be in her late 20s and a part-time superhero and model but she can/is allowed to enjoy herself. 

 

Now about Damian...

 

She really couldn't figure him out. Regardless of what Dick and Jason had told her about him, once she had learned that Batman had planned to send him to the Teen Titans for about a year. If he wished to stay, then he could stay until she deemed him ready to lead or he decides to join the Young Justice League. It had been that way for a while, Kori has lead and seen many young superheroes join the Teen Titans, some stay like Jamie, others transfer to the Young Justice League like Bumblebee and Cyborg. Some are special cases where they switch back in forth like Bart Allen. Though, Kori had a hunch that he only decided that because Jamie was around. 

 

She honestly expected them to open out the team as dating so. But one can't be sure about that. 

 

Kori looked down at Damian once more thinking, before picking him up and floating down the hall to his room. Once there, she placed him on his bed before turning away, before the urge to kiss his forehead overwhelmed her. Kori had to remind herself that he didn't trust her just yet. She had to earn his trust. Kori closed the room and ventured down to the rest of the team, the thoughts of toxic green eyes were moved to the back of her mind.

 

___________________

 

All is well with the team. Kori watched as Damian begin to interact with the rest, and by interact she means insults. Mostly Garfield, he and Raven after a life-threatening mission hit it off quite well. Same with Jamie, though they bonded over...well..she doesn’t remember what they bonded over. Probably, Jamie got relationship advice from Damian. 

 

Then shit hits the fan. 

 

It’s the typical villain of the day in Jump City. The same villain threatening to destroy the city with their so-called bomb, sending their minions towards the Teen Titans. Kori says the iconic phrase and the team begins to fight. It was simple at first but this villain actually was a challenge. People ran for their lives, as Raven and Jamie attempted to excavate them to safer areas. Garfield was busy distracting the rest of the minions while she and Damian ran up to take on the villain. 

 

Damian did have skill. 

 

While she was fending off attacking, at the corner of her eye, she could see the Boy Wonder gracefully dodging attacks, fending the rest he couldn’t dodge with his blade. Like the blade was a part of him. Doing that at a young age...it reminded her of the training all Tamaerean at his age were required to do to defend themselves. It reminded her of watching her younger brother on the planet Okaara train with the Warlord of Okaara as customary to noble-born children. If Damian was Tamaerean, she wouldn’t hesitate to let him visit the planet. The people were once a peaceful race but after the Psions experimented on one of their own. In the end, they began a race of war, but they intertwined war with emotions. They are...complicated.

 

“Kori watch out!”

 

Too distracted by memories, she could only turn to see an outstretched sharp claw opening toward her, electricity sparks between the metal. She curses at herself, it wasn’t the time to dwell on memories, though she did enjoy it. Kori silently braced for the impact, but it never happened. She hears a loud curse from Garfield and as she goes to scold him, a familiar toxic green flash in the corner of her as the villain cries out in pain. 

 

Damian…

 

She looks towards his direction again…

 

Kori isn’t sure how to deal with this information given to her. She watched as Damian’s eyes- glowed a toxic green, his hood fell off his hair. His hair was ablaze...like hers becomes when she is engaged in battle. He let out a yell and he had thrown a starbolt at the villain, the blast of energy causing the machine to explode on contact. 

 

How?

 

Kori gently floated to the ground, her mind trying to wrap around this...situation. Can she call it that? 

 

Did Komand’r have a kid? Or Ryand’r? Her older sister did have flings when she was on Earth for the very first time so she didn’t put it past her. Her younger brother...he only had been to Earth but just to visit her. Kori didn’t remember him flirting with Earth girls...then again his sexuality is fluid. 

 

There were no Tamaraneans on Earth. Her siblings visited of course but only for 24 hours or at the very least a week. She was the only one happily living here. So how? Kori tilted her head, her eyes trailing over Damian’s feature. She can see it now, the resemblance between her and Damian who was looking at his hand with shock...and fear. Did Damian’s parent steal her DNA? Did they have contact with the Psions as an effort to create a Tamaranean hybrid?

 

“Dude! Are you-”

 

“Garfield! Enough!” she snapped as she stepped forward. Her fingers, her nose and her freckles on her face...all of it...he had it. He is just thirteen and he is just as confused as she was.  

 

“Damian?”

 

She gets no answer from him, Damian’s face is black, staring at the enemy before transferring to stare at his hand. As she continued to walk to him, his eyes dimmed underneath his mask. If he removed the mask, she had no doubt it would be the same as hers. Too unnatural for any normal human being but natural for a Tamaranean. 

 

“Damian…”

 

“...So, Grandfather was correct. I am special...just not in the way I thought,” he mumbled under his breath, Kori had to strain her ears to hear it. There was silence, the sun beating down on them both. Kori closed her eyes and take a deep breath, kneeling in front of him. 

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

He was too short for a Tamaranean, which concerned her. Even a child at his age would be around 5’9, he was 4’10...at at the age of thirteen. 

 

“...Grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul seemed to inject me with Tamaranean DNA. He had notebooks filled with observations of my progress in my training. He must have…” His voice broke at the end and he grew silent again. 

 

She doesn’t know how to respond to that. How could she respond? Kori wasn’t going to respond like Clark had when Kon-El was introduced as his clone. Ignoring and avoiding the boy until something happened that caused him to interact. She could see that Damian had been through a lot. She would sell herself back into slavery than to do this to him.  

 

So she opened her arms just as Damian’s lip twisted into a bitter smile and he turned to flee the scene. Kori wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her body, her hands threaded through his hair. He tried to pull away- to flee but she doesn’t let go. She refused to let go of him, he was her son. 

 

Though his existence wasn’t revealed to her dramatically, she doesn’t give a damn. Plus actions are worth thousands diamonds more than words were anyways. 

 

Action, she was good that.

 

“It’s okay,” she whispered in his ear as he began to shake. “I don’t blame you for being created. Don’t blame yourself.”

 

He doesn’t say anything but he does slowly begin to hug her back, his finger clinging to her uniform. Kori smiled at that.

 

It was a start.

 

She wouldn’t let anything happen to Damian, to her son. He was just as much her son as he was Batman’s son. Kori has seen and has been involved in so many things. Both happy and heartbreaking. So has Damian. X’Hal, he had died and was revived. 

 

**_“Kori...what are you going to do?”_ **

 

Kori looked up at Raven and smiled, picking Damian up in her arms. The boy didn’t complain, simply clung to her tighter. 

 

“Simple, what I do best. Head back to the Tower...I need to go to Gotham. As much as I dislike the city’s atmosphere, I need to talk.” 

 

She watched her teammates leave, the police moving in to clean up the aftermath of the fight. Kori looks down as Damian’s curled up body and the urge to kiss his forehead grew stronger. This time, she does the action. 

 

With one hand, she balanced Damian, letting her free hand going up to tap her comm. After a few moments, the opposite end flared to life. 

 

“Kori?”

 

She smiled at the voice of Dick Grayson in her ear, “Hello, Dick.”

 

“Hey to you too. You don’t normally call unless...did something happen.”

 

Kori nodded, “Yes, something did happen. I just learned something, that I think your entire family will need to hear.”

 

“Okay, I’m coming over.”

 

“No need. I’m coming to Gotham, myself with Damian.”

 

She took off into the air, holding Damian close, heading to the other end of the United States. Towards, Gotham City.

 

“We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment or a Kudos!!!


	5. Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone begins to discuss how and why Kori's DNA was injected into Damian. Harsh memories will be relived.
> 
> In addition to that, Kori and Bruce will have a little chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO, MY LOVES!
> 
> Trigger warning for allusions to a past rape (though not explicit, it is mentioned), and emotional abuse. You have been warned.
> 
> Enjoy the next chapter!

Damian was becoming uncomfortable, and honestly, he didn’t know how to react or even act in this situation. He was half-Tamanrean apparently and not only that but he was technically Koriand’r son. And not by title, by fucking blood. He sighed and rested his head on Kori’s arm, he would really appreciate if the world didn’t always wanted to make things complicated for him. First, he died and was revived with superhuman abilities, now he barely even human.

 

Or maybe half. 

 

At this point, he isn’t too sure, nor does he care anymore.

 

Damian absentmindedly watched Kori and Dick chatter away with Jason making a snarky comment every now and then. Father hadn’t arrived yet, nor Jordan...Justice League meeting. Meanwhile, Drake was busy looking through Ra’s notes to see if there was any specific indication that Damian was implanted with Kori’s DNA. He felt...content about this situation. Probably because of Kori’s heat radiating off her. 

 

But now that Damian thinks about it, Ra’s always showed a weird fascination with many of Damian’s birthday challenges. His grandfather always had scientists with him and Talia always seemed upset at the fact. Damian started to wonder now, did his Mother knew about this? He hadn’t heard from her after his death, though he expected it. He survived what she planned for him and Heretic was dead. Regardless, she was most likely with Grandfather, possibly plotting to kill him again or shutting herself away to gain control over her emotions. It wouldn’t be the first time, though with everyone around him being extra protective after his death, Damian doubts now that Talia would get her hands on him a second time. 

 

“Grayson...what happened to Talia?”

 

Dick sighed and opened another notebook, “She is dead. After she had Heretic kill you, Ra’s wasn't very happy about that. From the conversation Tim had with Ra’s, he had her killed almost immediately with her remains burned to ash and scattered across the wind.”

 

Kori huffed, “Good. I believe I wouldn’t have stopped myself from trying to kill her for what she has put you through. In Tamarean, all children are trained in the art of many combat skills and techniques, but this is the key factor. If it’s too much, they are allowed to stop. They will not be shunned, or beaten because they failed a task.”

 

Damian frowned, “But-”

 

“Little D. In the notebooks, Ra’s written that Talia on several occasions made you go without food or water for what would be considered deadly at the very least. Also, adding the emotional abuse as well,” Dick muttered loudly cutting Damian’s defense off. The current Boy Wonder flinched at the words, his eyes flashing a toxic green. He didn’t think of that honestly, Talia had always been known as cold and unforgiving. Damian totally thought that as her son, she would be lessened cold and unforgiving. That was not the case. At the very less, she didn’t kill him when he got one little thing wrong like she did with her servants. 

 

_ “You must be firm and assertive when dealing with your servants Damian,” his mother spoke as she pulled out her blooded blade out of one of her own servants. The servant fell, dead with a loud thump. Damian had flinched at the sound if his mother saw, she didn’t say anything. She had walked away and turned her head at him by the door. _

 

_ “I trust you won’t disappoint Damian. Like your father did.” _

 

_ Damian had frowned and looked at her confused, “I thought you loved Father. You told me that you loved Father.” _

 

_ She sighed and laughed a little. A cold laugh which entailed how cold her heart was. “I did...once. Now, he is simply a pawn in our games Damian.” _

 

“Found it.”

 

Damian snapped from the memories and looked the Batcomputer. His DNA strains were shown on the computer. Nothing was off or anything if one didn’t account for the orange and green glowing strains within. Kori carried Damian over as they both looked in awe. Tim chuckled and pulled up a screen of Kori’s DNA, all of it glowing green and orange. 

 

“Obviously the orange strains stand for the Tamaranean DNA, the green is from the experiment that gave Kori her ability to convert energy into her famous starbolts. Since that was implanted and genetically infused with your DNA, Kori; you basically have the ability to transfer that ability to your offspring or in this case Damian.”

 

Kori nodded at the explanation, “That explains a lot, friend Tim if I’m being honest...I didn’t know that about my abilities. Regardless, is there an explanation of how Ra’s had gotten a hold of my DNA?”

 

Tim scratched the back of his head, “That is...a hard thing to say. It’s mostly theories at this point, my guess is a blood sample, but even then Ra’s would have to make it so that your blood didn’t poison Damian were he was in the womb of Talia.”

 

Damian coughed, “It was an artificial womb...Talia had the fertilized egg taken and placed into an artificial womb. She had said it was so she didn’t have to deal with the labours of carrying a child. Also, it was powered by a Chaos Crystal, I don’t know how Grandfather got it but I heard from servants that he made a deal with some...entity.” He felt Kori’s grip on him tighten slightly, at the corner of his eyes Dick snapped his pencil in half. Damian turned to Jason who was busy filling in bullets into his guns…

 

“Grayson?”

 

Dick growled, “I have been in the Court of Owls indoctortion...but this is...Ra’s was okay with this?!”

 

Tim shrugged, his mouth pressed into a line, “Ra’s is an interesting character, to say the least. He didn’t like the way humanity was running itself. But having a child in an artificial womb...I strictly believe that Ra’s wasn’t around when Talia when did this. But most of the time I have interacted with him, he is busy managing the League of Shadows. It’s a possibility that Ra’s is the only one on Damian’s side for the matter. But like I said he is...interested.”

 

Kori snorted, “He reminds me of my care-taker’s lover on Tamarean, though I suspect that something was going on and Ra’s had a deal with someone, but recent events cause him to have a change of heart.” The silence she gotten from her response made her tilted her head.

 

“Am I wrong?”

 

Damian let out a dry laugh, “I doubt my Grandfather would have a change of heart because I died. If he did, tt...kudos to him I guess. My other….relatives are very big on no emotions whatsoever.”

 

“Hm, that could complicate things.”

 

Dick tilted his head, “How so?” 

 

Tim pointed at Damian, “Damian for starting. Don’t glare at me Demon brat, I’m talking about your upbringing. Emotions. Kori’s people are powered by their emotions and since you are Kori’s child, that applies to you too.”

 

Damian grunted and crossed his arms, “Thanks for pointing out the fairly obvious Drake. But what does that have to do with anything.”

 

Tim snickered and gestured to the screen, “Your meta powers are fueled by emotions. And you said it yourself, Ra’s Al Ghul and….that woman are not big fans of emotions being expressed. Hell, you are just as emotionally constipated as Bruce is.”

 

“...He has to use the bathroom?”

 

Jason shook his head, “No Kori. It just means that Damian being who is. He can’t express emotions normally, for him to use his meta powers is going be difficult.”

 

Damian shrunk down in Kori’s arms, he hated being talked about as if he wasn't in the room. Thanks to Talia and Ra’s for that pet peeve. But Drake and Todd spoke the truth, he was horrible with emotions. Though, he was never going to admit that they were correct to their faces. Drake’s ego was already big enough and Todd will tease him about it till the day he died. 

 

Damian spoke up, “Plus you have to into account that prefer to use a sword and based on how powerful your starbolts are Kori. Your starbolts can pretty much every metal on Earth.” 

 

Kori sighed, “It’s true, but there are many abilities that you’re going to gain besides my starbolts. Granted, myself, Kom’andr and my brother are the only ones who possess the starbolt ability. The result of being experimented on...but my ability of flight is possessed by all people on Tamarian, besides Kom’andr.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“A childhood illness robbed her of her ability to fly. We thought that the experiments would change that, but she just possessed the ability to create starbolts. With that being said, she is very proficient in hand-to-hand combat.” 

 

Dick shivered slightly having reminders of fighting her sister back during his days in the Teen Titans, “Yeah...no kidding. She puts Bruce to shame.”

 

Damian snorted, “I have to see it for myself to believe it, Grayson. Kom’andr...she would be considered my aunt yes?”

 

Kori nodded, floating in the air with Damian in toll, “Yes, I will have to teach my language to you soon.”

 

Footsteps down the stairs made almost everyone freeze in their tracks, all except Kori who simply step Damian down gently and turned to greet Bruce with Hal in toll. For once he wasn’t in his Batman uniform, due to it being the middle of the afternoon really. Bruce blinked at his sons who looked at him awkwardly before looking at Kori.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“It appeared that you are not the only one who has a blood connection to your son,” Kori stated plainly pointing to the screens. Bruce didn’t hesitate to march over to look, his eyes glancing back at the screens and back at Damian who fidgeted under his Father’s gaze.

 

“Well. That explains a lot.”

 

“Lantern-”

 

Hal threw Bruce a look shutting him up, “Ring scan Damian for me.”

 

<Damian Wayne Al Ghul. 13 years of age. 4’11 in height. Son of Batman. DNA consists of human and Tamaranean>

 

Hal gestured to his Green Lantern ring, “The ring doesn’t lie to me, love, I would know if it did. I built from my own fucking will, Bruce.”

 

“....” Bruce sighed and looked back at Kori. “I believe we need to talk. Jason, Tim, Dick, Damian go outside please.”

 

_________________

 

Kori leaned back on the table crossing her arms. She has never talked to Batman's face to face by herself, normally she was with Dick or Jason during that. And the impression that she has gotten from him is that….he has a lot of trauma and the same trauma prevents him sometimes from expressing how he feels to his children. Kori has been the one who listened while Jason ranted about how Bruce wanted everyone to follow his way without question. 

 

_ “He treats me less like his own son and more like a soldier!’ _

 

Dick had the same thing, though it was less of ranting and firing a gun around the area more of just him bitterly laughing.

 

_ “Sometimes I often wondered if Bruce Wayne was truly the mask, not Batman.” _

 

_ Kori sat up on the bed, “So...you might tell him about Tralunala?” Dick immediately froze and she instantly regretted saying it. Kori cursed herself in her head, she knew about it felt, to be violated in a way that one would reject the touch of others.  _

 

_ “....Maybe never.” _

 

_ Kori rested a hand on his shoulder, “And...that is perfectly fine, Dick. It’s hard...X’Hal...I know.” _

 

The Tamaranean watched as Bruce paced around the Cave. He didn’t speak to her still. Kori sighed, “Are you going to speak?”

 

“Sorry, I’m out of my element in this..situation.”

 

Kori frowned, “How is it a situation? Ra’s Al Ghul injected Damian with my DNA in an effort to use him as a weapon of some sort. I myself have never encountered half-Tamaranean but half-metas are something that I have seen. And based on that, their powers don’t show automatically.”

 

Bruce blinked, “What?”

 

Kori pushed herself up, “I haven’t been on my planet for some time, but based on research. In theory, if a Tamaranean had a child with someone that is different, the child wouldn’t inherit the powers until their 13th birthday or close to it.”

 

Bruce stood straight up, “Did you-”

 

Kori threw him a nasty look, her eyes glowed, “I am just as surprised as you are. I would never.”

 

“....I’m sorry that was rude of me. Even still, I scanned him to make sure Talia wasn’t playing a trick on me, and I didn’t get a scent of Tamaranean DNA.”

 

Kori looked up towards the ceiling, blinking as water dripped from the deformed rock above, “I don’t know, but from what I can guess is that because of the Chaos shard, it kept it hidden.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Bruce looked at her, “What do you want with Damian?” To Kori, it sounded like a threat and she felt the rise of rage within but buried it down. Now wasn’t the time to be enraged.

 

“I want to help Damian control his powers, I want to teach him all the culture of my home planet, Bruce. After all, he is your son as much as he is mine. If he decides to remind as Robin that is up to him and you, I refuse to get involved with Gotham’s crime politics. Though, the Joker is a bit of a problem.”

 

He chuckled, “So I have been told by many people. Hal is slowly convincing me to find a permanent solution, but killing isn’t….”

 

“The answer? With this madman running around, it might be. In addition, after all the shit you have been through. You deserve to be happy, just as much as Damian.”

 

Bruce slowly gave her a smile, “And to think I underestimated you, Koriand’r.”

 

Kori smiled, “You will be dealing with me a lot, and please call me Kori.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let a comment or a Kudos
> 
> Note: Kori is a protective mom to Damian. He needs that.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a Kudos and a Comment!
> 
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> 
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